Two Guilty verdicts, seven Not Guilty verdicts and two hung juries were the outcomes of the mock trials held in SCDC South Division on June 7th as part of the court’s participation in the annual American Bar Association’s national LAW DAY celebrations.

This year’s ABA national LAW DAY theme: “Realizing the Dream, Equality for All.”

The local judges and court staff organized events in all four courtrooms for over 780 fifth graders and teachers from local elementary schools in the Edmonds School District. Arriving classes cycled through presentations of police K-9 dogs, a police “beer goggles” demonstration, a DUI wrecked car, a police traffic enforcement motorcycle, a law related “Jeopardy” type game show, and a mock criminal jury trial.

Students actively participated in the mock trial. Each 23 minute “jury trial” involved a scripted, hypothetical shoplifting case with the students playing the roles of judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, bailiff, witness, defendant and jurors. The “trials” were run by attorney Paul Hanson.